If You're Not Burning, You're Not Learning with Mike Johnston

11/15/19 • 38 min

After a failed recording, I sit down with Mike Johnston again to talk about his work as a welding instructor. We talk about his work in engaging students, his initial dislike of school and how he came to become a teacher, embedding Indigenous perspectives, knowing the difference between good and great welding and how to help even the worst welding students - like me - improve.

Previous Episode

An Entire Dance Team of Hype People with Romeo Suban

You can dance if you want to, but please, whatever you do, don't leave me behind! In this not-so-scary episode released on Halloween, I do a dance of the words (aka talking) with Romeo Suban, dance teacher at St. John's High School. We talk about if there are any bad dance moves, knowing the context for dance, the similarities and differences between English and dance, seeing both the individual dancer and the whole group, assessing dance, lead dancers vs. backup dancers, subjectivity, the importance of character in dance, motivation, and wondering why we have competition.

Next Episode

The Double Snap with Jamie Leduc

In the conversation eighteen months in the making, I finally sit down with my pal Jamie Leduc to talk about the Sisler CREATE program, Disney movies, non-silver photography and land art, classroom setup, spaces of learning and spaces of not learning, there’s a brief interruption which proves Jamie’s later point about how visitors drop in, building community, the purpose of school, students’ passion, leaving your mark, the structure of a day of his course, ripping down the barriers, the role of a teacher, and if you should try to recreate Jamie’s model: spoiler - you shouldn't.